


The Empty Chair

by PeanutButterBandit



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, One-Shot, Pining, past relationship between Diana and Akko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-25 00:56:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16651225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeanutButterBandit/pseuds/PeanutButterBandit
Summary: Akko leaves a chair in the front row empty for Diana at every show. Will it be empty again this time?





	The Empty Chair

Akko looks at the empty chair in the front row. She wonders how sad it is to keep inviting someone who never shows up. 

 

Akko understands, she  _ does _ . That doesn’t stop the dull ache in her heart that she has to push through at the beginning of every show. Akko resigns herself to it yet again, returning to her dressing room to make sure she’s ready.

 

The show begins. Through what is now long practice, Akko avoids looking at the empty seat. She floats onto stage invisible beneath her hat, giving the illusion of a passing wind bringing it to the stage before she removes it, floating it to the floor and sweeps it up as she becomes visible again.

 

Her broad smile hurt her cheeks the first few shows, but now Akko doesn’t have to rely only on the joy of performing to keep it up. She flourishes the Shiny Rod, and her show starts in earnest.

Akko leaves the stage to a standing ovation, the ache from the beginning of the show soothed now, masked by the warmth she always gets seeing the enraptured gaze of the audience, especially the little kids.

 

Too busy thinking of what it had felt like for her at that Chariot show, when she’d learned what magic could be, Akko enters her dressing room on autopilot, shucking her stage outfit to put on the clothes she would greet her VIP guests in.

 

The clearing of a throat jerks her back into the present.

 

In the midst of removing her shirt, Akko freezes and blushes brightly. Frightened red eyes lift to meet glacial blue.

 

Akko’s blush intensifies painfully. She tries to wriggle back into her shirt, grateful she’d only managed to expose her stomach. The quick movements work against her though, and Akko finds herself stuck.

 

A warm chuckle in her ears and warmer hands on her arms, and Akko freezes again. “You never change, do you?” Akko shivers as her shirt is fixed, hands tracing lines down her arms. Her breath catches when Diana fixes the bottom, pulling the shirt down, hands drifting down her sides and back to straighten it out.

 

Akko’s heart threatens to beat out of her chest. “You haven’t changed either.” Akko didn’t intend to sound so breathy, and she makes her voice firm again. “Where have you been?” Some part of Akko’s mind catalogues that Diana’s hands came to rest on her waist instead of retreating, and that treacherous part confirms they fit as perfectly as always.

 

Reaching down, Akko grabs Diana’s hands in her own, holding them at a distance as she waits for Diana’s response.

 

“I couldn’t leave Daryl in charge of house Cavendish, you know that.”

 

“And it takes more than a year to sort out? And we had to break up? You could have broken up in person, at least.” Akko’s frustration with Diana’s actions leaks out in her tone.

 

She isn’t expecting Diana to start crying, though only the glistening in her eyes gives it away. “The acting head has to have an heir,” Diana says, not looking at Akko any longer.

 

“What does that mean?” Akko moves forwards to comfort Diana, letting go of one of her hands to brush tears away. 

 

At that moment, a thin cry comes from behind Diana. Diana gives an equally thin smile, “An heir,” she turns to tend to a small bundle. Akko’s brain stops working for a moment.

 

She’s on her knees by the basket, looking at a tiny face. It has Diana’s eyes. A few stuttering words leave Akko’s mouth, the baby stops crying to laugh at her, delighted, but Akko can only focus on the one thought running through her head.  _ “Diana has a baby?” _

 

“I did not think you would appreciate learning what was necessary.”

 

“Who?” Akko knows how babies are made, at least, and the crack in her heart needs to know.

 

“Andrew.”

 

Akko entertains the child, creating magic sparkles from her fingertips and enjoying the way eyes so similar to Diana’s shone with a child’s wonder. “I hope you’re both happy.” Her heart comes close to shattering.

 

Akko is pulled back up to stand, Diana’s arms encircling her. “No,” Diana’s voice wobbles, “It is not what you think. We did not marry.” Akko feels Diana hide her face in the crook of her neck, damp and warm from her emotions.

 

“Explain then, please. Why did you have to leave me if you didn’t marry him?” Akko’s hand begins rubbing soothing circles on Diana’s back.

 

“Would you have wanted to date me knowing I had to conceive an heir, knowing what that meant? I did not want to hurt you with that.”

 

“You hurt me anyway.” Long-suppressed tears collected in Akko’s eyes, dripping down her face into golden curls. “Diana, I love you. If you loved me too, then we could have worked something out. I  _ missed _ you. Why show up now?”

 

“You love me?” Observant as always, Diana lifts her head.

 

“Of course. Of  _ course _ .” Akko rests her forehead against Diana’s. And then she steels herself for an impetuous action. She’d promised herself long ago that if Diana ever re-appeared then she’d do what she should have done more than a year ago, before Diana left. 

 

Akko kneels down, on one knee, pulling a ring from her pocket. “Diana, we’ve got stuff to work out, but I still love you. I don’t want to let you leave again. So, Diana Cavendish, would you make me the happiest woman alive? Would you marry me?”

 

“Yes.” Diana’s hand covers her mouth, looking as surprised as Akko felt that she’d said that, and so quickly. “I mean…”

 

“Diana, don’t change your mind just because you’re worried about all the changes between us, but you don’t have to hold to the yes right now, I honestly didn’t think you’d say that,” Akko laughs awkwardly. “I just wanted you to know how I feel, and how serious I am about this, you.”

 

The slump of her shoulders and the relieved smile that Diana gives Akko heals the cracks in her heart. The baby behind them giggles. Akko turns around and makes a face, increasing the giggles. To Akko’s surprise, some of them are from Diana, and it causes her to join in, the tension in the room lightening up.

 

Diana recovers from her giggle fit, “Akko, I would like to introduce you to Daniel Cavendish.”

 

Akko composes herself as well, and turns with much pomp to the little boy, she takes one tiny hand in hers and kisses it. “I am honored Sir Daniel.” The baby’s giggles turn to delighted laughter.

 

Diana pulls Akko up from her kneeling position, turning her around. “Yes,” Diana mumbles as she leans in. “I love you too, Akko.” Diana kisses her, touching their lips together before giving Akko a crushing hug. A last whisper against Akko’s ear, “Yes, I want to marry you.”


End file.
